Centrifugal separator



June 13, 1939.

ERR

L. D. JONES CENTRIFUGAL SEPARATOR Filed Nov. 15, 1957 1121:" l Z5 .1 2a

INVENTOR. LE0 D. JONES x W I ATTORNEY. v

' M tion, and

Patented June 13,1939

, NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ilaies corporation, poratlon of Delaware Philadelphia, 2a., a cor- Application November 15, '1921, Sll'ill no. 114331 1 Claims. gifll. car-2c;

The present invention pertains to the art of centrifugal separators and is particularly con; cerned with the design ofa centrifugal separator adapted to eifect continuous discharge from a 5 heavier subsided component of a lighter and viscous component of the centrifugal separating operation through a skimming nozzle. The par-, ticular problem which resulted in the conception of the present invention was the continuous 1 separation of wax from a petroleum oil solution of higher specific gravity than-the wax, and the invention will be hereinafter described with respect to the continuous separation of these materials from each other. The present invention was conceived in connection with the separation of these mate separator described and claimed in my prior copending application Serial No. 751,336 flied November ,3, 1934 for Method and apparatus for so separating wax from oil. In that application a machine is illustrated which is designed and adapted to discharge wax of a highly viscous nature continuously from the inner subsided wax stratum of a centrifugal separator. In that applieation no special-provision is madeto prevent the discharge of the wax by splashing from the rotor. As a consequence of this fact, a certain amount of wax splashes from the skimming nozzle of that application and is discharged into the upper cover which lies above the oil receiving cover of the centrifuge.

A primary object of the invention has been to prevent discharge of wax which splashes from the skimming nozzle as described above from the centrifugal rotor and to minimize turbulence within the centrifugal rotor by deflecting wax splashing from the skimming nozzle aspromptly as feasible after it leaves the skimming nomle,

' and hence minimizing impact of the wax splash- 40 ing from the skimming nozzle at high velocity against the rotating body of wax within the centrifugal rotor.

The manner in which the objects oftheinvention have been attained will be best understood by reference to the following specification in conjunction with the attached drawing, in which, r Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through parts of a centrifugal separator illustrating the de- 0 tails of the invention. Fig. 2 is a detailed bottom perspective. view of a skimming nozzle and splash guardgassemlila'ge constituting the novel unit of the inven,

bymeans of the centrifugal Fig. 3 is a plan view of the skimming nozzle and splash guard assembly. Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the centrifugal separator of the invention embodies .a frame III which. encloses a rotor 5 ll provided with a plurality of parallel conical discs I! defining parallel subsidence separating zones. Liquid continuously discharged from the rotor II is collected in a receiving cover 13. The lighter subsided material in the rotor is dis- 10 charged from the rotor continuously through a stationary dislodging tool in the form of 9. skim- .ming nozzle II. In the operation ofa centrifugal separator of this type, in the separation of wax from a heavier oil solution, the suspension 15 of wax in oil solution is fed to the rotor through a feed nomle l5 and the oil is continuously discharged into cover l3 while wax is continuously discharged through the skimming nozzle l4.

The present invention embodies aguard member designed to prevent the discharge of'wax which splashes from the dislodging tool and to turbulence in connection with the use of a separator of the type described above. T0 this end, a splash guard I6 is provided adjacent .the end of the centrifugal separator from which the wax is discharged. This splash guard comprises an annular skirt ll extending axially of the rotor and attached to a head portion l8. The annular skirt i1 is slightly smaller in diam- 30 eterthan the neck 25 of the portion of the centrifugal separator which surrounds the guard member, it being necessary to provide some clearance between the guard and the neck of the rotor because of vibration of the rotor and in 3r order to permit movement of the nozzle H toward and from the wax stratum within the rotor. The guard is provided with an opening IS in its head II in ordrto provide for the introduction of the feed nozzle l5 into the receiving end of the central receiving tube 26 of the rotor.

The skimming nozzle is secured to a connection tube 22 which is in turn secured to the head ll of the splash guard by securement to a plate 2| which is provided with an opening 2| to receive the feed nozzle l5 and is bolted to the head ll of the guard IS. The portion of the connecting tube which extends above the head of the guard maybe reciprocated by means of mecha-' nism connected to its flange 23 to cause limited movement of the nozzle through its guide hearing 24 and adjustment of the position of the lno'zzle relative to the wax stratum within the rotor. L L

The opening IS in the head of the guard I6 is ward the left is limited to prevent contact ofany part of the skirt II with any part of the rotor.

In addition to the annularskirt H, the guard comprises a flange 25 extending from the skirt l1 toward the center of the rotor and with an arcuate flange portion 28 lying radially inwardly claims.

of the skimming nozzle and having a curvature -of the same general character as that of the skimming nozzle. The flange 26 is designed to prevent splash of wax to the opposite side of the rotor from that occupied by the skimming nozzle and the flange is designed to deflect wax splashing in'a direction approximately atright angles to the plane of the mouth of the nozzle. A flange 21 connects the flange 1G with the skirt I1 and the flanges 25, 28 and 21 afford between them provisionfor deflection and return to the body of wax within the rotor of a large part of the wax which splashes from the nozzle 14. The guard I6 also embodies a flange 28 which directly overlies the zone of the rotor occupied by the skimming nozzle and deflects a large part of the wax which splashes upwardly from that nozzle.

Modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art and I do not therefore wish to be limited except by the scope of. the sub-joined I I claim: r

1. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor having an open neck, a non-rotating dislodging tool projectin into the path-of a subsided constituent within said rotor and a splash guard within the open neck of said rotor adjacent said dislodging tool; said splash guard including a head portion lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the rotor and an annular skirt portion depending from the head and lying in close proximity to theheck of the rotor.

2. In a centrifugal separator, the combination mprising a centrifugal rotor having an open neck, a non-rotating dislodging tool projecting into the path of a-subsidedzconstitue'nt within said rotor and a splash guard within the open neck of said rotor adjacent said dislodgi s W01, said splash guard including a head portion lying in a plane substantially at right angles to the axis of the rotor, and an annularskirt portiondepen'ding from the and extending into the a rotorin a direc tion substantially parallel to the, rotor axis, said skirt portion being spaced from but lying in close proximity to the neck of the rotor.

rotor anda spiashguard within the open-neck ofsaid rotor-adjacent said dislodging tool, said splash a head'portion lying in a plane sqhstantially-atrightangles'tothe axis of the nnularskirt portion depending no dbgdanomcinzint themmrinn direction m fitanflfllypasjalleltotherotoraxls andlyingincioieproximitytotheneck ofthe IS, the nozzle II and the opening- 3. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising acentrinigalrotor having an open .neck, a. non-rotating dislodsins tool projecting into the path ofa subsided constituent within said rotor, and a flange extending from said skirt substantially parallel to the head portion overlying, a portion of said dislodging tool and designed to deflect wax splashed longitudinally, away from the body of subsided material within the rotor by said tool.

4. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor having an open neck, a feed nozzle extending into the neck of the rotor, a non-rotating dislodging tool arranged in the end of the rotor adjacent said feed nozzle and projecting into the path of a subsided constituent within said rotor, a splash guard having a head portion surrounding said feed nozzle, a skirt portion depending from said'head portion into the neck of the rotor, and lying in proximity to the neck of the rotor and flange portions extending from said skirt portion along a linebetween said tool and the axis of said rotor designedto deflect subsided material splashed from the main body of subsided material within the rotor by said dislodgingtool.

5. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor having an open neck, a skimming nozzle projecting into said open neck and into the path of a subsided constituent v within said rotor and a splash guard associated with said skimming nozzle having a head portion to which said skimming nozzle is secured and through which said skimming nozzle passes, said splash guard being provided with a skirt portion dependingv from said head portion and extending into the rotor in a direction substantially parallel to the'rotor axis in close proximity to the'neck of the rotor, said skirt portion being provided Q with flanges lying between saidskin ming nozzle .1 and theaxis of said rotor designed to deflect subsided material splashed from the main body of such material within the rotor by said skimming nozzle laterally from said body of subsided material and with a flange portion overlying the skimming nozzle and designed to deflect material splashed from the main body of subsided material within the rotor by said skimming nozzle in a direction'longitudinall-y of the rotor.

6. As an element of a centrifugal separator, the

Y combination comprising a skimming nozzle and a splash guard, said splash guard being provided with a head portion through which said skimming nozzle projects and to which said skimming nozzle is secured, and with a skirt portion depending from said head portion and'includingflan es extending in a generally inward direction ward the axis of said skirt portion to form a partial enclosure for said nozzle.

7. In a centrifugal separator, the combination comprising a centrifugal rotor, a non-rotating dislodging tool projecting into the path of a subsided constituent wi said rotor and a splash guard adjacent said dislodgi tool including a head portion having a depending guard portion lying-between the axis of the rotor and the dis-- lodging tool designed to deflect material splashed inwardly toward the rotor axis by said dislodging tool, said I centrifugal separator being provided with a feed nozzle extending through an opening in the head of said guard portion, said opening being larger than the adjacent surface of the feed nozzle, whereby the feed nozzle serves as an abutment to prevent movement of said guard member against rotating parts of the centrifugal separator.

' LEO D. J ONES. 

